Ryan blew out a breath and relaxed, knowing he’d wake up before the animal or something else killed him. He was more than willing to ride out the dream, as long as it kept her at his side.
If nothing else, he could use the information to build his next game.
Going with the flow, he looked the wolf over. “Is he tame, then?”
Dia patted the animal’s head and then returned to Ryan’s side as Jaspon licked at the stream. Though it was hard to tear his gaze away from the danger, even if he was just dreaming, he forced himself to focus on her.
She grinned. “Not tame in the least, except with my family. He won’t hurt you because I’ve introduced you, and he’ll let the rest of the pack know you are welcome here.”
Ryan didn’t know what to say, but now that he knew he was experiencing a lucid dream, he would just play along until its conclusion. “How many are there?”
Dia shrugged. “Several, but don’t worry about them. The only way they’d harm you is if they felt threatened by you, or you were a threat to my family. They take care of us, and we take care of them. It works out for us all.”
This was really getting good and would make his previous mythical and mystical games look like child’s play. He grinned, hoping like hell the entire dream played out before he awoke. Knowing that was a danger, since he was rationalizing everything, he delved into his role. “I’ve never known of wild creatures befriending people, but I haven’t really looked into it either.”
Dia laughed. “City boy?”
“To the bone. That’s why I was about to head back to town to look for a place to stay. I’m out of my element here.” Saying those words scared him, making him fear the truth would knock him out of this dream. He dug deeper and kept his eyes on her to hold onto the moment. It was a relief when she approached the four-wheeler and climbed on and everything still seemed real. He followed her, noticing the large wolf decided to nap at the edge of the stream.
He smiled, satisfied. “You are completely in your element though.”
Dia nodded. “Yep. I’ve lived here my entire life with the exception of my college years. I know the animals and they know me.” She paused, made a face, and added, “Although the wolves are fairly new to the area.”
“And, still, they are so friendly?”
Dia shrugged and started the motor, causing Jaspon to look over at them before laying his large head back down. She turned as much as she could to look back at Ryan. “I know it seems strange, but they understand me and my family. I don’t question it. And neither should you.”
Ryan grasped her tiny waist when the vehicle jerked forward, curious her last statement sounded like a threat, even though it was lightly delivered. He pressed his lips together, fearful a bug might hit him in the face and end up in his mouth as he pondered the strangeness of the world he’d entered. Dream or not, bugs in the mouth weren’t happening.
Mystic Mountain felt different than any place he’d ever been, even while dreaming. Though he couldn’t explain the difference if his life depended on it, there was something about the very air he breathed. It was pure and though seemed filled with moisture, the air didn’t make him feel hot and sticky, or even cold and clammy. The most surprising thing was it didn’t seem altered by the exhaust coming from the four-wheeler they were riding on. He leaned forward and yelled over the loud motor. “How is it that this thing doesn’t put out a smell?”
Dia slowed a little and tilted her head so she could respond while keeping an eye on her driving. “Uncle Tom’s cousins produce the fuel from local plant oils. It isn’t gasoline. Or even corn oil. Everything used for fuel on the mountain comes from the mountain. That way we are not polluting our home or desecrating the earth.
“Even before my family came to this land, it was treated with the greatest respect by those who called it their home. That has been lost in the rest of the country—and pretty much all over the world. Which is really sad.
“I had a hard time living away from home while I attended college.”
Ryan digested everything she shared, as impressed with the reality of his imagination as everything else. He’d never given much thought to such things on a conscious level, but then he’d always only known places where concrete and brick were considered natural elements. He closed his eyes, not caring where she took him, but held on to the feelings so he didn’t wake up.
He breathed in and out, just enjoying the vibration beneath him, the exhilaration of giving himself to the moment, and the scent of the woman whose life he’d currently placed in his mind. When they slowed and stopped again, he opened his eyes and followed to where she was pointing. Though not clearly, he saw a large buck standing proudly a short distance from them.
Ryan stayed where he was, but Dia rose and lifted her leg, causing her to fall back. Her bottom landed between his upper thighs, and his breath caught. He wondered how he could translate his purely male reaction on screen, but let the thought go when she giggled a little, before standing with her back to him. Without looking back, she moved forward slowly until she was only a few feet before the buck.
“Good morning, Wind Jumper.”
The buck lowered his head briefly and then stamped his large hoof once. Ryan was captivated by the slightly blurry scene before him and finally remembered to breathe.
“He is our friend, Wind Jumper, and will bring no harm to your herd.” She turned back to Ryan and waved him forward. “Ryan, come meet Wind Jumper. He’s head deer on Mystic Mountain and very protective of his family.”
Bemused, Ryan gained his feet and walked to stand by Dia’s side, being careful not to make any sudden moves. The large buck stood feet taller than Ryan and had massive antlers that were sixteen strong, if Ryan counted right. Though he’d been to petting zoos as a child, he’d never been this close to a mature animal, and with the buck’s weapons on full display, he had to admit, if just to himself, the creature was intimidating as hell.
“Talk to him.”
Ryan turned to Dia, but could tell she wasn’t kidding. He turned back, and nearly held out his hand. Clearing his throat, he spoke. “Hello.”
The buck nodded his head and Ryan jumped back. He swallowed, embarrassed that he’d been the only one to react. “I’m Ryan. It’s nice to meet you.”
Even though he felt all kinds of silly, Ryan felt his acceptance by Dia’s animals was a must for his acceptance by her. He stayed where he was as she moved forward and ran her palm against the buck’s jaw, then remained transfixed with the thought of her touching him as gently. As if the buck sensed Ryan’s thoughts, Wind Jumper’s head came up sharply, his regal antlers standing so tall Ryan knew he’d never be able to touch those on top.
The animal looked him over, then turned to Dia and snorted. She laughed, but Ryan had a feeling he’d just been insulted. Dream or not, he wasn’t going to look like a fool in front of such an amazing woman. He took a step forward and looked the buck in the eyes. “You don’t even know me.”
Dia’s hand on his arm drew Ryan’s attention from the buck to her. She smiled gently. “He means no disrespect. He has simply taken me under his wing and is protective.” She turned back to the buck. “Ryan is my friend. As are you. Be kind.”
If deer could glare, Ryan felt certain this one was doing it, but he held his ground, and after a moment the buck looked back to Dia and nodded his great head. Ryan wasn’t certain, but he thought maybe he’d just passed some kind of test. Which was ridiculous, of course, but would play right into the game possibilities spinning in his head.
The buck pranced, turned, and leisurely walked away until he was out of Ryan’s range of sight. Since Dia was still looking in that direction, her face pensive, he guessed she could still see the departing animal.
“How is it that you communicate so well with these animals?”
Dia turned to him, her eyes guarded. “I told you. I’ve lived here all my life. It isn’t really that unusual.”
Though Ryan had to disagree, he kept
the thought to himself. He smiled at her, wanting to see her smile again as well. “I’m getting hungry. That muffin I had for breakfast is long gone. How about that barbeque place you told me about?”
As he’d hoped, her face lit up, and she smiled. “Definitely! I can’t wait to see what you think about it. I keep telling the owners they should go international, but they, pretty much like everyone else from around here, like things to stay just the way they are.”
****
Dia was glad the trip to the food stand would take them a good hour through the forest. She needed to think. Had she made a terrible mistake introducing Ryan to her wildlife friends? Maybe she shouldn’t have, but other than her extended family and the Mystic Waters community, the animals were the only beings she happily associated with, and to bypass or ignore either would have hurt or insulted them.
But it was more than that. She’d felt compelled to share herself with him, and though she hadn’t meant to, to be honest when he questioned her, as well. Still, she knew she’d have to be more careful. The last thing she wanted to do with her new found free time was place her family in danger. One of the things she liked most about Ryan was also the thing that could make him dangerous. He had no knowledge of mystics and magic. No idea her affinity with the animals was natural to them, where it was unnatural to others. She feared she may have breached one of her family’s laws, to never reveal themselves to others because persecution had historically followed soon after. Not that she believed Ryan would hurt a fly.
Perhaps even stranger than her need to expose herself was his acceptance of all he saw and heard. She couldn’t help but grin as she flew down the path, amused and more than a little proud he’d been willing to face down and protect her from both Jaspon and Wind Jumper, when it was so clear he’d feared both. She could just imagine how hard that had been for him. It was obvious he was completely out of his element. That he’d wanted to protect her filled her with pleasure. Of course just being in his company already did that.
She liked him—plain and simple—but she’d still have to be careful in the future and ask her family to tread lightly with him, if he ever got a chance to meet them.
It really wasn’t fair Jewell found a man in the ancient past, for whom it was obvious from the start her family was full of mystics. And the same held true for Sapphire. Meeting and marrying a Lycanthrope pretty much took away any threat of exposure from him and his kind. Their need for secrecy was as great as her family’s was. To reveal one would likely expose the other, once the need for help became clear. If Ryan had the slightest inkling he’d seen a werewolf—not just a wolf, as traumatic as that must have already been—more than likely the reality would have taken him over the edge.
Not that she had any illusions Ryan would end up being hers.
She had to remember that. Not let her deep attraction for him bind her heart in a way she’d be devastated once he returned to the world he knew. She had enough problems to deal with as it was.
The sight issue, however, was an immediate problem.
It killed her, but she’d have to contact her family and tell them she’d messed up again. Though none but Sapphire had ever said mean words, she knew her family thought of her as poor dumb Dia. Her clan was a mystical group of fixers, and she was nothing but a screw-up.
And now this.
Dia hadn’t expected drinking from the stream to affect Ryan in any way. From her understanding, those waters only enhanced the ability of beings who were in tune with the elements, like the members of her family and the Lycanthrope pack. As the stream and the multitude of veins branching from it hydrated the rich soil, it also explained why all the plants and animals on Mystic Mountain were larger than life, filled with their own unique energy and power.
She’d always loved that the plants called to her, but today, after already filling his head with the mystical, she had to ignore them. She didn’t want to do anything else that might alert Ryan to just how different she was from other women he’d known.
After hitting a sharp rock, which threw them a little, Dia became concerned she wasn’t able to find a smooth path for the four-wheeler to take. It wasn’t something that had ever been a problem before. When she leaned back to apologize to Ryan for the rough ride, she noticed the flora she’d passed without acknowledgement seemed to wilt a bit in her wake. She slowed the vehicle and took a closer look. Sure enough, the plants that were lively before her were as they had always been, but those behind looked as if they were struggling to survive a drought.
Dia inhaled swiftly as excitement filled her. Was this her gift? Had she had it all along and was only now realizing it?
She braked again, this time so abruptly Ryan was thrown into her back. She turned to him again to apologize and froze. She couldn’t find her voice and nearly choked while trying. Sitting against the four-wheeler’s bumper was a large tree that hadn’t been there before. Fearful Ryan would look back and see it as well, she mumbled an apology and sped off, knowing she had to bury her pride and seek out her family for help.
Chapter Four
Dia paced the floor of her aunt Destiny’s cabin while she waited for the rest of the clan to gather. Her frantic text to her mother following lunch with Ryan had been necessary, though she’d hated leaving him behind earlier than their expected separation for the day, especially since his changing sight seemed to make him a little off-kilter. But she’d needed council, and since there was no one else she could turn to, she’d called a family meeting.
Knowing she’d have to keep the meeting relatively short, because she’d accepted Ryan’s invitation to dinner following his visit to see his father, Dia was on the verge of biting her fingernails. She’d talked him into letting her take him so he didn’t kill himself trying to drive the mountainous road with iffy sight, though she’d told him it was just because she knew the area so well. But time was getting away from her. So far only her mother, Aunt Haven, Aunt Destiny and Uncle Tom and her sister Jewell, who was days away from having her babies, had arrived. Apollo and Zeus were on their way from town, but fashion model Heracles wouldn’t be attending since he’d gone to Destin for a swimsuit photo shoot, which would soon be turned into magazine ads. Her female cousins, Soleli, Celestia, and Luna, were also on their way, but were stopped on the other side of a wreck at the base of the mountainous road. The girls had to wait for law enforcement to clear the debris before they could proceed. She’d learned Sapphire was there as well, being one of the officers working the site.
As far as Dia was concerned, Sapphire could just stay. The last thing she needed now was her oldest sister’s scorn.
Nearly an hour into her pacing, everyone who was coming had arrived and settled in the Whitehawks’ large family room. Her mom and the aunts took the opportunity to make food while they’d waited, just as they did each time there was one of these gatherings. Though her mother kept sending her questioning looks, Dia wasn’t ready to talk and would just shake her head. She didn’t want to go into what she had to tell at all—and certainly not more than once.
Thankfully, the Hansen triplets finally arrived together to say they’d had barely missed being a part of the wreck. What had been a two-car accident had nearly been a three-car pile-up. Only Soleli’s quick reaction kept them from hitting the two cars in front of them. Though they were unharmed, all three were filled with nervous energy, and Sapphire was still tied up dealing with the aftermath of the incident. Had it not been his day off on the fire and rescue crew, Apollo would have been there as well.
“Hi, all, since everyone has arrived, if you would, take your seats and we’ll get started,” Rayne said, wiping her hands on one of Destiny’s many aprons. She motioned for Dia to come to the front of the large room to stand by her side. She looked her daughter over, her concern clear, as the chatter trailed off and the room became silent.
“The floor is yours, honey.”
Dia nodded, unable to work up a smile. Now that the time had finally come, she didn’t know
where to begin. She looked around the room, and the concern and compassion that was sent back to her helped a little.
“I guess I need to start by letting you all know how much I love and appreciate you, and your support. I stand here knowing there will be no judgments, save my own, but I want to apologize in advance anyway for possibly revealing things about us to an outsider.”
She waited a heartbeat to allow that to set in. As expected, curiosity and concern filled faces, but not condemnation. “The man who is renting Uncle Tom’s cabin was with me today. I took him out into the forest on my four-wheeler, to entertain him, and because I needed a distraction.”
Dia frowned, not ready to get into that. “I took us on a long ride to point out the beautiful plants and trees. I told him we were a big family, and I had lived here all my life, but of course I didn’t say anything about our abilities. We eventually came to Neolia, and believing it would not faze him, but simply refresh us both, I offered him a drink.”
Several eyebrows rose, and amusement was on as many faces, but no one said a word. Dia took a deep breath and continued. “What happened next is the problem. After he took the drink his eyesight changed.”
This time those listening frowned. Her mother spoke up. “Changed how? And how do you know this?”
Dia nodded, glad for a specific thing to focus on because her head was spinning with what she’d yet to tell. “He wears glasses. Those dark-framed things that make him look like Clark Kent.” She couldn’t help but grin. “I know that sounds silly, but it’s the only way I know to explain.”
“So does he make you think of Superman when he removes them?”
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